A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Sunday, July 03, 2005

The FDA Issues an Alert on ADD and ADHD drugs

The FDA is a slow-moving, very conservative (in the "careful" sense) organization, so when it issues a warning you better pay attention because the situation is probably much worse. Anyway, on June 28, 2005, the FDA finally ordered labeling changes to methylphenidate [Ritalin] products, including Concerta, to warn that these drugs can cause "psychiatric events." What does that mean? Well here are some of the list: "visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior." In other words millions of kids in this country are taking stimulants that can cause suicide or become psychotic. Why do I say millions of kids? Because these drugs are used to treat the dreamed up mental disorder called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder otherwise known as ADHD or ADD.

The antidepressants used to treat such mental disorders as anxiety disorder and depression have also been found to cause suicide and psychotic behavior in children. So the question becomes: Why are we giving our kids these things?